Statehouse
Pritzker names Mike Lazzeri to lead Illinois Department of Labor as Jane Flanagan departs
Lazzeri, a former Midwest regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, takes over the state agency Nov. 1, pending Senate approval.
Prairie Record, published
Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday named Mike Lazzeri director of the Illinois Department of Labor, replacing Jane Flanagan, who is leaving the agency at the end of October.1 Lazzeri’s appointment takes effect Nov. 1 and is subject to approval by the Illinois Senate.1
Who is taking over
Lazzeri most recently served as regional administrator for the Midwest in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, where he oversaw enforcement in 10 states, according to the governor’s office.1 His team received the Partnership for Public Service’s 2024 Federal Employees of the Year award for its work on child labor investigations, the release said.1
He has more than 20 years of federal experience, including five years at the Office of Management and Budget and 15 years at the Wage and Hour Division, according to the release.1 He holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and a law degree from New York Law School.1
“I am excited to appoint Mike Lazzeri to lead the agency,” Pritzker said in the release.1
Lazzeri said in the release that he looks forward to “collaborating with the IDOL team and all of our partners.”1
Flanagan’s tenure
The governor’s office credited Flanagan with a period of growth and reinvestment at the department, during which it added staff and more than tripled the amount of unpaid wages it collects each year.1 The release said she also helped pass the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, amendments to the Equal Pay Act and an overhaul of the Illinois Child Labor Law.1
Flanagan received the Illinois AFL-CIO’s 2026 Margaret Blackshere Award and was named the American Swiss Foundation’s 2025 Workforce Innovation Fellow, according to the release.1
“It has been my honor and privilege to serve Governor Pritzker and the people of Illinois,” Flanagan said in the release.1
What happens next
Lazzeri can begin leading the department on Nov. 1, but his appointment still needs a vote of the Illinois Senate.1 The release did not say where Flanagan is going next.1
The change is the second agency leadership move the governor’s office has announced this week: on Oct. 28, it named Central Management Services Director Raven DeVaughn a senior advisor in the Governor’s Office.2
Written by AI. This story was researched and written by an AI system from the 2 sources listed below, and published after an automated check that it rests on a government document or two independent news organizations.
It can still contain errors. Check the sources, and see how these stories are made.
Sources
- Gov. Pritzker Announces Agency Leadership Transition, Office of the Governor (the document itself)
- Gov. Pritzker Names Raven DeVaughn Senior Advisor, Office of the Governor (the document itself)